Enoch
Enoch is the oldest mythical city and current mythical capital. It has an estimated population of about 800,00 mythicals as of 2116. The city's population has been growing steadily ever since the end of the Mortal Mythical War and the government has begun taking steps to improve infrastructure and expand housing to sustain the increase in Enochian residents. Enoch was first settled shortly after the Celestial War and is often thought to be the location of the supposed 'Garden of Eden'. Officially, it was founded by the First Council in 502 BC. It is located along the western coast of Turkey. Enoch's government oversees all the other mythical cities with the exception of BlueAsh, Russia. Geography & Districts Enoch is a coastal city, building alongside a series of cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. Surrounded on 3 sides by water and boasting two harbors make it ideal for trade. There are also half a dozen or so small beaches stretching along the city's shores, the largest of which surrounds The Hill. tumblr_osdc9xudEN1sjt6sco1_500.jpg|''The Morningstar Palace looms over Enoch at the top of the Hill'' tumblr_nu44gir3V01qjvnc4o4_1280.jpg|''Ruins on the outskirts of the city, a good place to explore'' tumblr_osdc9xudEN1sjt6sco2_500.jpg|''Enoch's sprawling harbor which lines the southern side of the city'' f14d2816601935a8af91f23e092bc2dc.jpg|''A typical afternoon on the Hill, facing away from the palace'' BeFunky Collage.jpg|''An aerial view of The Rock and Enoch's coastline'' tumblr_n6a2g5drky1s7e0dto1_1280.jpg|''Evening in the Summer Market'' The city is divided into 6 distinct districts. The Hill The Hill is Enoch's wealthiest district and the location of the Morningstar Palace. The most prominent figure on Enoch's skyline, the palace looms above the rest of the city. As the name of the district implies, it is located at the highest point of the city's elevation. The further one travels up the hill, the more prestigious the homes become until one ultimately reaches the Palace, which overlooks the steepest cliff over the sea-side. Many nobles and 'old money' families live in this area, including members of the royal Council. The district is made up of a primarily celestial population, however, in recent years, a more diverse population has begun to crop up. New Town As the name implies, New Town is the most recently built part of Enoch. Architecturally, it does blend in with the rest of the city, though still boasts new technologies and modernized homes. New Town is located at the bottom of the Hill, and the further north one travels, the older the homes become until one is officially in the older, wealthier district. The 'downtown' area of Enoch is located here - New Town is home to a number of popular nightlife areas, some of which are nicer than others. New Town is the most diverse neighborhood in Enoch with a fast growing population. There has been recent talk about developing new homes in this area in order to accommodate the influx of migrants to the city. The Rock The Rock is the oldest district in Enoch. It was where the city was originally settled; this is evident in the sheer number of homes built into and of the original desert sandstone. It is located in the city's geographical center, with its homes and various other buildings surrounding the city's vast outdoor market. It is the least populated district, as many families have chosen to move into newer, more modern homes over the years. The Rock is the second most expensive area to live in Enoch after The Hill. This is because of its central location and close proximity to both New Town and the main harbor - both being within a 15 minute walking distance. Bayside This coastal district stretches along the city's western shoreline, beginning down near The Pit and extending all the way up parallel to The Hill. There are a number of small harbors within the bay, though the largest, Starfall, is the busiest. Bayside is Enoch's trading and business district and is home to the majority of the city's trade merchants, fisherman, and (up closer to The Hill) even a handful of nobility members. Bayside is home to the least number of Celestials in the entire city. Outskirts The 'suburban' area of Enoch, the Outskirt district surrounds all other districts, with the exception of The Hill. While its name implies it may be a desolate place, this district is actually the most highly populated and largest part of the city. Many working and middle class residents live here, in homes of all different ages and styles. Over the years, a lot of money has been invested in turning this district into a better place to live. It was previously a 'not so nice' part of town with a lot of petty criminal activity that has been cleaned up or diverted into The Pit over the last 50 or so years. A lot of families now choose to make this district their home due to it being quieter and less compact than the rest of the city. The Outskirts is often described as having a 'lot of room to grow'. The Pit The Pit has often been described as one of the worst places on the planet. Although the sun is always shining in Enoch, there is little light here in the metaphorical sense. Geographically, it is located 10 miles outside the actual city proper and is surrounded by a large fence. As one travels further east beyond the Outskirts, abandoned warehouses and other dilapidated structures begin to crop up. Older buildings rise up out of this until one finds himself at the Pit's entrance - a heavily guarded gate. The guards aren't there to keep people from getting in or our out though; rather, they are there to protect those who do live inside The Pit as much as is possible. There are parts of the Pit that are better than others. Spots of this district have less crime than others and there are a few places that one might actually consider livable. The overall bad reputation of The Pit deters anyone who has the choice from living there though, and thus, it remains an impoverished region with high crime rates. A number of Enoch's criminals are sentenced to The Pit as a kind of imprisonment - they are made to live in the district's worst area, rather than in the palace's dungeons. The Council believes this is a good deal for those who have committed smaller offences, as they are still technically given some freedoms. Still, most choose the dungeons over having to spend any time in The Pit voluntarily. The new queen Alessandra has recently enacted a movement to try and build two new schools here - one for children, and one for adults who may wish to change the course of their lives. There is a lot of support for this from the other districts of Enoch, however, a lot of the Pit's residents see this as some kind of act of gentrification and are trying to keep this from happening. Government The city, and those allied under it, are governed by a monarchy and a council system. The City Council was created before the monarchy, meaning it is one of the oldest democratic governing bodies in at least the mythical world. The City Council The Council consists of 24 representatives - each of the 6 districts chooses 4 residents to represent their wants, needs, and political values at court. New representatives are elected every three years, and a representative may not be elected any more than six times in his or her life time. Members of The City Council typically live within their home districts and come up to The Palace for court throughout the week on an as-needed-basis. Twice a month, all representatives are called up to The Hill for days of Whole Court. On Whole Court days, the city, noble, guard, and advisory councils all meet to make larger, more executive decisions that may impact the entire city's well-being. Representatives come up with and vote for bills or movements that might impact their individual districts. Nobility Council The nobility council is made up of Enoch's major stakeholders - wealthy trade merchants, members of ancient houses, and friends of the monarchy. Unlike the City Council, members of this branch of council are not elected by the actual citizens of Enoch, rather, they are specially chosen by members of the monarchy's advisory council. The nobility council exists to work alongside the City Council, to ensure there is balance between the average, every day citizens of Enoch and the overall best interests of the city's economic state. One member from each of the major Houses in the city is supposed to be on this council, though there may be gaps of time where a house goes unrepresented, depending on how much power that House has at any given time. The Guard Council This is the smallest branch of the council that is comprised only of the 3 Captains of the Royal Guard. Along with governing the Royal Guard itself, the Captains offer the other branches of council and monarchy advise when it comes to making decisions regarding Enoch's security and military. The Guard Council is the only council in which seats are not chosen by the other councils or the monarchy - Captains are appointed by officers of the Guard's 4 divisions and typically hold that position for life, but some have chosen to retire to pursue other ventures. Advisory Council The Advisory Council exists to support the Monarchy and Judicial Court of Enoch. This is the most exclusive branch of council, and is typically comprised of those who have been part of the other two branches of council for more than 20 years. There is no set number on how many seats there are on the advisory council, and these seats are typically filled on an as needed basis - though there are usually between advisors at any given time. This council is almost always headed by someone especially close to the throne - previously, it was Cambria Morningstar, one of the city's founders, military leader, and former queen. Seats of the advisory council are usually filled by the reigning monarch, but the other branches of council may choose to vote someone off if there is reason to do so. The Monarchy & Royal Court The Enochian monarchy is at the head of all matters of state. It is comprised of members of House Morningstar and has been since the monarchy was established in 1003 AD. The monarchy oversees all important decisions made regarding not only Enoch itself, but the other mythical cities governed underneath it. The current queen is Alessandra Morgan. Her son, Søren Dreyrugr Morgan is heir to the throne and will be Enoch's first ever King when he begins his reign. The Royal Guard Enoch's Royal Guard oversees the security of the city and makes up its military force. It is made up of mythicals of all species, who enter into its training program at around 12 years of age. It typically takes initiates between 6-8 years to complete this vigorous training program. About half of initiates do not make the final cut or find training too difficult to complete. The Guard is headed by 3 Captains, each of which are elected by the officers of the 4 branches of the Guard. Captains also serve as military leaders during times of war, and may also instruct initiates during their training. Officers oversee their own particular branch and are typically the most skilled in their field. Culture Enoch's culture is heavily influenced by its history - Many of its inhabitants are celestials and practice the traditions and religious rituals of Celestrism. As the Enochian population has become more diverse over recent years, so has its culture. The city is now considered to be rather global, in that one can find cultural elements from all over the world in various parts of the city - A Catholic church may be on the corner of one street and a Star Temple on the next. The city has no official language, though many residents speak Enochian (a language stemmed from Seraphimic which originated in the first populations of Nephilim thousands of years ago). It is commonly spoken within celestial households and, up until recently, was the official language of the Enochian Government's meetings. Enoch's seasonal markets and festivals play a large role in the city's overall culture. The Summer trade period brings festivals with it, which most residents eagerly look forward to. The city comes to life during this time of year, as houses are adorned with colorful banners and the market stalls open for business, overflowing with every kind of good imaginable. The Winter Market (sometimes referred to as the Night Market) is smaller in comparison, but is unique in that it is the only time of year in which traders from BlueAsh and Northern Europe do business with Enoch. Historical Over-View Pre-History & Origins Founded by a tribe of nomadic fallen angels and their nephilim children, Enoch was once completely hidden from the rest of the world. Shrouded by glamours, tucked away in the middle of the desert, it was nearly impossible to find. The city was an ideal hiding place for the hunted group of damned which founded it. Its population was very small for the first few centuries, until the Celestial War was declared officially over. The angels had won – humanity would live on, anyone who threatened its existence would be cast down to the earth forever, or worse, sentenced to eternity in Hell. As the war drew to a close, more and more fallen arrived on the scene, seeking refuge from the new world the mortals were constructing. Wanting to create a replica of heaven, the fallen began building elaborate homes throughout the city. At the center of it all was Morningstar Palace, an imitation of what was once the seat of power in heaven. Eager to restore the old sense of power they had once known, the fallen elected to give Enoch over to the woman who started the whole war to begin with. Cambria Morningstar was crowned queen and ruled over the city of centuries… Under her reign, Enoch flourished and became home to more than just celestials. Over the years, mythicals of all species began to call the city home. The city has a rich and extensive history. The Mortal Mythical War Soon after mortals discovered the existence of mythical beings in their world, Enoch entered a kind of panic, wanting to protect their city from the war that was brewing. As the rest of the mythical world plunged into a period of darkness, Enoch somehow continued to shine. It closed its walls, not allowing anyone to enter the city without permission from the Guard. Trade came to a halt as the city began to stockpile its resources, preparing for any potential famines or sieges. The magic that kept the city invisible was strengthened, making it nearly impossible for even those who had visited it many times to find. Around this time, Cambria Morningstar announced she would abdicate the throne to her descendant, Karou Morgan, so that she could effectively focus on preparing the city’s military (as Cambria had fought in the Celestial War, and witnessed every mortal war afterwards, it was decided this was the best course of action). Karou, a nephilim with vampiric ties and a natural gift for politics, took the throne at the young age of 21. At first, her skills were put into question because of her young age. Rebel groups made several attempts to over throw her, but the young woman would not budge. As the war raged outside the city, it was Karou who managed to keep Enoch safe from any real harm with her careful decision making and selflessness. She was also known for opening the city's gates to refugees in the fact of mortal terrorism. Meanwhile, Cambria aided the royal guard in forming a military task force to aid the rest of the mythical world. It was during this time that Enoch, a city mostly ignored and forgotten by other mythical communities, really came into the spotlight. At one point, the city’s military effectively rescued Isadora from complete obliteration. When the war came to a close and the mythicals had won, it was decided Enoch would become the new capital of the mythical world. A treaty was signed under which Isadora and Alabaster swore their allegiance to the Enochian government and monarchy. Under this treaty, the two cities are governed by Enoch, protected by the Guard and its military, and share in its trade system. Lockwood was also recently brought into this treaty and is currently undergoing reformations to its own government. At the end of the war, relations between Enoch and BlueAsh began to grow rather tense - As Enoch moved further into the future and became more liberal/progressive, BlueAsh fell back on its archaic traditions. It was apparent this was going to become problematic, especially as former IVG leader Roman Black and Karou Morgan often did not see eye-to-eye on matters of state. Enoch strived to establish cooperaiton between the other mythical cities, yet the IVG in BlueAsh continued to close Enoch out of any major decision it made. The two cities nearly went to war with each other a number of times, until finally, the city was raided by Enochian military forces and Roman Black was executed for his crimes against other mythicals. A Golden Age, A Golden City Currently, Enoch is undergoing a period of immense growth. The end of the Mortal Mythical War and its establishment as a capital meant the arrival of new families and species to the city. These new faces brought their trades, unique abilities, and cultures with them. This means Enoch is rapidly becoming a more diverse city in terms of culture - something that many find appealing. Karou's reign paved the way for a promising future - the new Queen Alessandra has already made great strides in establishing stronger connections to other mythical communities beyond the official Cities. She is currently trying to enact a movement to promote better relations between BlueAsh, as well. Category:Mythical Cities Category:Enoch Category:World Building Category:The Mythical World